Chair construction



- Dec. 12, 1944. r J B! QC'QNNQR 2,364,647

0mm CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Oct. 21, 1957 Patented Dec. 12, 1944 CHAIR CONSTRUCTION JohnB. OConnor, Aurora, Ill.,assignor to Lyon Metal Products, Incorporated, Aurora, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application October 21, 1937, Serial No. 170,256. Divided and this application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,834

Claims. (01. 155-194) This invention relates to, a new and improved construction for chairs formed of metal and of the metal framefolding type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a metal folding chair with particular relation to the back construction thereof, which is rugged, comfortable, economical to construct and assemble and ornate in appearance.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a chair of the metal frame folding type wherein there is provided a sheet metal back portion formed of a sheet metal stamping suitably shaped to conform to the back of the sitter and which is constructed and arranged to be assembled within the channel frameof the chair in a manner to provide sturdy construction, ease in assembly, comfort to the sitter and which is also pleasing to the eye.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the perusal of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure. 1 is a perspective view of an all-metal embodiment of my invention showing the chair provided with the back of the instant invention, the chair being shown in open position.

Figure 2 is a sectional view alongthe lines 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the back por tion of the chair.

Figure 4 is'a view of the blank used from which the back is formed.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The present invention is a division of my prior filed application, Serial No. 170,256, filed October 21, 19 37.

Referring now to the drawing it will be seen that the chair in general comprises a main frame to formed from a metal channel bar bent into inverted U -shaped formation and preferably braced at its lower end by a cross-brace H. .A pair of channel bars l2 and I3 connected by a cross-brace M are p-ivotally secured at their upper ends to the channel and together form rear supporting legs for the chair. A back I5 is secured to the U-channel H1 at the upperend thereof and a seat It is pivotally secured to the frame by the pivots ll. Each rear corner of the seat is provided with a projection l8 carrying a cylindrical lug l9 slidable within its associated rear channel bar of the leg members 12 and it, and each of the channel bars carries a stop for limiting the upward movement of its associated lug. The lower ends of the legs carryrubber feet 2| affording a firm and solid support to the construction.

By virtue of the foregoing construction it will be seen that the chair is of the folding type and may be readily manipulated from its open or seating position to its closed or collapsed position for storage purposes. This operation may be readily effected by grasping the chair back and front of the seat and rotating the seat clockwise with respect to the frame about the pivots l1. During this operation the rear support frame comprising the legs 12 and [3 will be moved into substantial engagement with the main frame channel l9 and the seat will be brought simultaneously into .the plane of the main frame whereby to collapse the chair construction. When it is desired to again open the chair to seating position, the seat is pivoted counterclockwise with respect to the frame,

whereby to bring the parts into position as shown in Figure 1. During this operation the stops 29 limit the upward movement of the rear of the seat, thus holding the seat during use in firm substantially horizontal position and against collapse.

Inasmuch as the invention of the present application relates peculiarly to the details of construction of the back l5 and the manner in which it is constructed and thereafter assembled within the channel portions of the main frame In, no further reference will be made to other portions of the chair unless to bring out the fact that they cooperate with the'peculiar constructional details of the back itself.

As shown clearly in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the back it is formed as a single sheet metalstamping which is formed from the blank as shown in Figure 4', and ultimately constructed so as to include a lower curled or beaded edge portion 22, which curl is formed so as to face rearwardly of the front of the back portion 15 as shown in Figure 3 and extends from one channel part as at 28 to the opposite channel part as at whereby to reinforce this back piece.

The'back in its formative process is stamped or otherwise formed so that an upper portion 24 thereof at the front lies substantially within the plane of the front flange 26 of the channel member Hi. In fact, this substantial co-planar arrangement of the front peripheral portion 26 of "the back with respect to the front face of the channel portion in takes place substantially from the point 28 upwardly around the curved upper front wall of the channel member and thence downwardly around to the point 39 of the channel member so that at its peripheral edges the front face of the back lies substantially in the same plane with the front face 26 of the channel member from the point 28 to the point 30.

However, the remaining portions of the blank are in a horizontal direction disposed in a, concave curvature considered from the front of the chair, as shown at 32, and which is evident from an examination of Figure 3,- particularly with reference to the dimension 34 which shows the manner in which the back I is concaved rearwardly at its center portion which is on the line 22 of Figure 1, so as to naturally conform to and fit the back of the person sitting within the chair.

The beaded portion 32 reenforces and strengthens the chair back all along its lower curved edge. It will be noted that the upper and side portions of the back from the point 28 all around to the point (see Figure 1) are provided with a flange portion 36 which is bent slightly out of the plane of the portion 24 and is provided with a shoulder 38 so that the flange portion lies substantially adjacent to the inner wall of the front flange 26 of the channel member ID. This flange portion of extension 36 of the back is provided with an angularly bent continuation or extension flange portion 39 which is bent approximately 90 degrees with respect to the flange portion 36 and lies snugly in the channel and adjacent to the top and side wall portions 40 of the channel portion 10, whereby the free edge 42 of the back is securely hidden within the channel portion In.

Any suitable number of fastening means is provided, which fastening means pass through the exterior wall of the channel member ID and engage and pass through the top 40 and the flange portion 39 of the back l5. In the present instance I have provided three such fastening members 44 which may be of any desired type such as rivets or screws.

It will thus be seen that by the present construction I have utilized the channel-shaped bars of the rear frame ID for not only providing a rugged leg construction of the chair but also have utilized the channel-shaped formation of this frame member H! as a means within which I am enabled to secure a sheet metal back in such a manner that the sides and top thereof are suitably mounted therein and secured so as to preclude any possibility of dislodgment and whereby any unsightly free upper edges of the back are completely hidden without the necessity of beading over the upp r edges of the back. In addition, it will be seen that this single piece sheet metal back, as viewed from the front of the chair, and relative to a horizontal plane is concaved, the concavity starting at the two sides of the back where it is joined to the opposed leg portions l0,

and extends gradually in a backward curvature to the center of the back whereby to fit the back of the sitter. In addition, the sheet metal back, viewed from the front of the chair, is likewise provided with a vertical convex shape which begins from the two sides of the back where the sides fit into the channel legs I0 and gradually attains its maximum convexity at the center of the back as shown, for instance, in Figure 2 or Figure 3 in which cross sections are taken on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1 and which cross section passes vertically through the center of the back. Regarding Figure 3, for instance, it will be seen that with respect to this vertical convexity of the back, viewed from the front of the chair, the upper portion of the back, as at 24, lies substantially on the plane of the front face of the channel-shaped leg portion and thence sweeps downwardly and rearwardly in a gentle convex curve, the bottom portion of the back continuing the convex curve rearwardly whereby the lower edge of the back at this point will conform naturally to the back of a person sitting in the chair. In addition, the lower surface of the back is provided with the rearwardly facing curl 22 which ruggedly reenforces the lower edge of the back at this point. The intermediate portion of the back, viewed in Figure 3 as shown by the numeral l5, may be more or less formed straight, provided, however, it may likewise be formed on a slight curve. It is important, however, that the upper and lower portions of the back above and below the portion l5 be continued as convex curves. It will be further noted by reference to Figure 5 that the concave curve in a horizontal direction is one continuous curve from each side panel member (0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding chair comprising an inverted substantially U-shaped frame which in cross section at its upper portion is of channel shaped formation to provide an outer wall and substantially parallel front and rear downward flanges disposed at substantially right angles to said outer wall and spaced apart to provide a channel, and a sheet metal back formed of an integral metal stamping, said back at its top and sides being formed with an integral continuous flange portions of which are offset slightly rearwardly to lie within the channel and parallel to the rear face of the front wall of said channel, said flange be ing extended substantially at right angles thereto to lie substantially in contact with said outer wall of said frame, fastening means passin through the outer wall portions of said frame and through said extension flanged portions of the back, said back from its Junction with the opposed sides of the frame being concaved in a horizontal direction and progressively from'the side to the center 7 being convexed in a vertical direction.

2. In a metal chair construction, the combination of a metal frame of inverted substantially U-shaped formation and having an upper portion which in cross section is channel shaped and includes opposed spaced downward front and rear flanges and a relatively wide connecting outer wall, the frame opposite said outer wall being open, and a sheet metal back formed of one piece and having two sides, a top and a bottom, said sides and top having relatively wide flange portions bent angularly with respect to the back and fitting within a portion of said frame substantially coextensively with the entire extent of said sides and top of said back, fastening means securely holding said flange portions in position, said back being concaved horizontally from the sides to the center of the back, and said back at its top being offset forwardly from its edge portion and projected toward the plane of the front face of the frame, and said back in a vertical direction being convexedrearwardly substantially progressively from the outer front wall of the side of the frame to th center of the back, and the lower free edge of said back havin a strengthening bead or curl extending from one channel member of the frame to the other channel member of the frame.

3. In a metal chair construction, the combina tion of a metal frame of inverted substantially U-shaped channel formation and a single piece sheet metal back having two sides, a top and a bottom, said sides and top being provided with flange portions, the flange portions at the two sides and top fitting within the channel portion of the frame and fastened therein, the bottom of the back being beaded or curled to reenforce the back, said back from the front of the chair being concaved horizontally from the junction of the back with the channel frame members toward the center and said back in an up and down direction bein progressively bent or curved from the sides to the center and providing a substantially straight intermediate portion at the vertical center of the back, the portions of the back above and below said substantially straight portion being convex, the convexity facing the front of the chair, and the front face of the upper portion of th back being offset forwardly from the edge portion and lying substantially in the plane of the front wall of the metal frame.

4. In a metal chair construction, the combination of a metal frame of inverted, substantially U-shaped channelformation, and a single-piece sheet metal back having two sides, a top, and a bottom, said sides and top being provided with flange portions, the flange portions of the two sides and the top fitting within the channel formation of the frame and fastened therein, the bottom of the back being beaded to reenforc the back, said back from the front of the chair, being horizontally concaved from the junction of the back with the channel frame members toward the center, and said back in an up and down direction being substantially straight at the side edges, and the upper and lower marginal portions of the back being progressively vertically convexly curved, from the sides of the back toward the vertical center thereof, in respect to the front of the chair, the upper conveXed portion beginning to curve substantially at the lower edge of the front part of the top channel portion of the frame.

5. In a metal chair construction,.the combination of a metal frame of inverted substantially U-shaped formation and having an upper portion which in cross section is channel-shaped and includes opposed spaced downward front and rear flanges and a connecting outer wall, the frame opposite said outer wall being open, and a sheet metal back formed in one piece and having two sides, a top and a bottom, said sides and top having flange portions bent angularly with respect to the back and fitting within a portion of said frame substantially coextensivly with the entire extent of said sides and top of said back, fastening means securely holding said flange portions in position, said back being concaved horizontally from the sides to the center of th back, and said back at its top being offset forwardly from its edge portion and projected toward the plane of the front face of the frame, and the lower free edge of said back having a strengthening bead extending from one channel member of the frame to the other channel member of the frame.

JOHN B. OCONNOR. 

